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Sir Graham Watson

Sir Graham Watson
GrahamWatsonMEPHead and Shoulders.jpg
President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party
In office
25 November 2011 – 21 November 2015
Preceded by Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck
Succeeded by Hans van Baalen
Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament
In office
13 July 2004 – 1 July 2009
Preceded by Position established
Succeeded by Guy Verhofstadt
Leader of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party in the European Parliament
In office
6 January 2002 – 13 July 2004
Preceded by Pat Cox
Succeeded by Position abolished
Member of the European Parliament
for South West England
In office
20 July 1999 – 2 July 2014
Preceded by Constituency established
Succeeded by Clare Moody
Member of the European Parliament
for Somerset and North Devon
In office
18 July 1994 – 20 July 1999
Preceded by Constituency established
Succeeded by Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born (1956-03-23) 23 March 1956 (age 61)
Rothesay, United Kingdom
Political party Liberal Democrats
Spouse(s) Rita Watson
Children 1 daughter
1 son
Alma mater Heriot-Watt University
Website Official website

Sir Graham Robert Watson (born 23 March 1956) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England from 1994 until 2014 and was the leader of the Group of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party 2002–2004 and the first leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe 2004–2009. From 2011 until 2015 he was the President of the ALDE Party.

Graham Watson was born in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute (Scotland, United Kingdom). His father was an officer in the Royal Navy and his mother a teacher. Watson was educated at the City of Bath Boys' School, where he played violin in the school orchestra. He later returned to Scotland to attend Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh where he graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts in modern languages. He worked first as a freelance interpreter and translator and then (1980–83) as an administrator at Paisley College of Technology. He now speaks four European languages.


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